CHICAGO - On Friday, Sept. 25, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker expanded the threat to voters that unless the progressive tax is passed on the ballot Nov. 3, lawmakers will be forced to raise income taxes on Illinois residents by at least 20 percent, “regardless of their income.”
Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton, echoed what Pritzker said on Sept. 24, at a Fair Tax Virtual Rally hosted by Vote Yes For Fairness Committee.
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The progressive tax on the ballot, also labeled the “fair tax” by its supporters, would eliminate the 1970 Illinois Constitution’s flat tax protection that ensures no one’s taxes are hiked unless everyone’s taxes are hiked. The protection is intended to make state lawmakers cautious because raising taxes creates voter backlash.
The change would grant permanent new taxing authority to Illinois politicians, making it easier for them to raise taxes on everyone, one group at a time – including opening the door to a retirement tax. Research from the non-partisan Illinois Policy Institute has found the progressive tax would hike taxes on more than 100,000 small businesses and kill at least 56,000 jobs under the initial rates passed by the Illinois General Assembly.
Stratton said the harms of hiking taxes in an already high-tax state, saying, “We all know that our middle- and lower-income families cannot withstand a 20 percent tax increase and it will only serve to deepen the dramatic inequities that we already see across the state. It will drive out our residents and it will drive out investment in Illinois.” While this is true, the lieutenant governor seemed to be saying the administration’s revenue demands would be more important than these harms.
The amendment does nothing to lower Illinois’ second-highest in the nation property taxes. It would leave the poorest Illinoisans paying the third-highest overall tax burden in the nation, $1,800, while gaining barely enough of a break for a fast food meal.
Working-class families were already disproportionately harmed by doubled gas taxes and hiked vehicle registration fees when Pritzker signed off on 20 new or higher taxes and fees in his first year. A typical suburban family could end up paying $1,700 more in vehicle-related taxes after those hikes.
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